TIL a weird trick for getting old glue off book cloth

Honestly, I was trying to restore this 1950s hymnal from a church sale in Akron and the old spine glue was like concrete. Ngl, I was about to give up after scraping for an hour. On a total whim, I tried a dab of vegetable oil on a cloth and let it sit for 10 minutes. The glue just wiped right off without damaging the fabric underneath. Has anyone else found a weird household item that works for a specific bindery problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

mia_hart901mo ago

Ever try using a cheap white eraser for that sticky residue left by old tape on endpapers? Tbh, it sounds nuts, but the gentle abrasion works way better than solvents for me, and it doesn't risk making the paper oily.

the_holly1mo ago

That "sounds nuts" trick is my go-to, though I've erased a few fingerprints along with the residue.

brian3281mo ago

Wait, is the old glue really that big of a deal? I just scrape it off with a dull knife and call it a day, it's not like it's going back on display in a museum.

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